UWA SPOT/SET Project

141)          explanations have provided sufficient detail

Providing sufficient information in an explanation and yet not overwhelming the information recipient is a balancing act. Generally, the barest amount is suggested for an introduction, using concrete and relatively simple examples.

• Davis, Wood, & Wilson (1983) in “A Berkeley compendium of suggestions for teaching with excellence” supply seven suggestions for providing clear explanation.
• “Learning requires accurate interpretation and thorough elaboration,” say deWinstanley and Bjork (2002). They suggest some ways for effective information presentation and elaboration.
• In the section “Constructing Explanations”, Graesser, Person, & Hu, (2002, p.37) list a series of questions which can help to drive explanations.

Davis, B. G., Wood, L., & Wilson, R. C. (1983). A Berkeley compendium of suggestions for teaching with excellence [World Wide Web]. The University of California. Retrieved 20 October, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/sectionlists/sect5.html

deWinstanley, P. A., & Bjork, R. A. (2002). Successful lecturing: Presenting information in ways that engage effective processing. In E. F. Halpern & M. D. Hakel (Eds.), New Directions for Teaching and Learning: No. 89. Applying the science of learning to university teaching and beyond (pp. 19-31). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Graesser, A. C., Person, N. K., & Hu, X. (2002). Improving comprehension through discourse processing. In E. F. Halpern & M. D. Hakel (Eds.), New Directions for Teaching and Learning: No. 89. Applying the science of learning to university teaching and beyond (pp. 33-44). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.